The indicator value of peatland vegetation in relation to the afforestation of peatland in Northern Ireland.

  • D.A. Dickson Botany Department, The Queen's University of Belfast.
Keywords: Growth indicators, peatland vegetation, classification of vegetation, competition, soil nutrients, Calluna vulgaris, peatland afforestation, peat types, silviculture, peatlands.

Abstract

In the first part of this paper the following considerations affecting the use of vegetation as an index of site potential for tree growth are discussed: the difficulty involved in describing and classifying geographically separate areas of vegetation; the relationship between peatland vegetation and environment; and tree growth in relation to vegetation type. The second part deals with an investigation into the relationship between the vegetation and nutrients of the peat in three forest areas of Northern Ireland. From this it seems that the peatland in Northern Ireland can be divided into three broad categories on the basis of vegetation and total nutrient content of the peat. The differences between these categories are likely to be significant for tree growth. Within each category the establishment of trees and their early growth seems likely to be determined by the severity of the competition between the natural vegetation and the trees. From this aspect, successful establishment appears to be inversely proportional to the vigour of species such as Cullana vulgaris. Although there is considerable variation in peat nutrient content between the vegetation types in each category, this may not be significant for early tree growth in view of the relatively large amounts of nutrients supplied as fertiliser.
Published
1962-11-01
How to Cite
Dickson, D. (1962) “The indicator value of peatland vegetation in relation to the afforestation of peatland in Northern Ireland.”, Irish Forestry. Available at: https://journal.societyofirishforesters.ie/index.php/forestry/article/view/8961 (Accessed: 28March2024).
Section
Articles